Behavior Gap Radio

What are you willing to do for money? In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl explores the growing tension between long-held values and the relentless pursuit of wealth, power, and attention. As hustle culture celebrates sacrifice in the name of success, he questions whether money is becoming the central organizing principle of our lives—and at what cost. If you don’t know who you are in relation to money, the future might be an expensive place to figure it out.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

Why do we reach for our phones, ice cream, or the next distraction—even when we know they don’t add to our lives? In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl unpacks the habit of novelty-seeking and its connection to boredom, stress, and dopamine. He explores how we’ve trained ourselves to chase input and what happens when we practice sitting with boredom instead. If you’ve ever wondered why you instinctively reach for distraction, this one’s for you.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this short but powerful episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl shares a crisp insight: If you're unclear about who you are or what you value, entrepreneurship, finance, and business are extremely expensive places to figure it out. In a world where long-held values are often sacrificed for money or attention, the cost of uncertainty has never been higher.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl shares a short but deeply considered essay from his new book. He explores why humans and money don’t fit neatly into formulas—why the complexity, emotion, and adaptability of real life can’t be crammed into an algorithm. With AI on the rise, this conversation feels more relevant than ever. Carl even ran this piece by an AI editor—its response might surprise you.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

What if there were a Strava for money? In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl explores how the natural human instinct to compare—often seen as a negative—could actually be harnessed to help us make better financial decisions. Inspired by how Strava tracks and motivates progress in outdoor sports, Carl wonders: Could a similar tool provide useful context for spending and financial alignment? He dives into the idea of measuring not just income and expenses but whether our money choices align with what truly matters.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

We look at what people buy and assume we know what they make—but what if that story we tell ourselves is completely wrong? In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl shares an essay from his upcoming book that explores the psychological trap of comparing our spending to others. From fancy cars to neighborhood norms, we often let assumptions shape our financial decisions in ways we don’t even realize.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

What if every project, every system, every piece of work was in service of one thing—kindness? In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl reflects on the idea of scaling kindness and how everything he’s building—his writing, speaking, art, and business—is ultimately about creating more space for meaningful, generous interactions. Whether it’s financial kindness or just kindness at scale, this simple but powerful idea is shaping the next chapter of his work.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

Striking up conversations with strangers can feel daunting—but what if it was easier than you thought? In this episode of Behavior Gap Radio, Carl shares a simple yet powerful approach to meeting new people, inspired by an event hosted by his friend Darren. By asking just one key question—"Tell me something I should know about you"—he discovered how effortless and rewarding it can be to connect with others. Tune in to hear how you can use this strategy to turn any room into a space for meaningful conversations.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

What happens when you step outside your usual circles? Carl shares a powerful realization from an event in his own backyard—an energizing room full of creative, ambitious people he’d never met. It was a reminder that “your people” are out there, but finding them takes intentional effort. In this episode, he explores the importance of curating your community, surrounding yourself with those who are up to something, and making space for creativity and possibility. Who are you investing your time and energy in? And how intentional are you about it?Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/ 

We’ve all heard that money is power—but what if the real power is attention? In this episode, Carl explores how attention has become the most valuable commodity in the world, shaping wealth, influence, and the way we interact with the world. But here’s the good news: if we’re aware of it, we can practice. We can audit where we invest our attention, reclaim control, and make sure we’re spending it on what truly matters. This is both a warning and an invitation—because the fight for your attention is real, but so is your ability to choose.Want more from Carl? Get the shortest, most impactful weekly email on the web! Sign up for the Weekly Letter from Certified Financial Planner™ and New York Times columnist Carl Richards here: https://behaviorgap.com/